Wrench



R. E. ODELL WRENCH April 22, 1930;

Filed July 22, 1929 INVENTOR. B01565 Odel/ ORNE S.

Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED STATES ROSS E. ODELL, F BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA WRENCH Application filed July 22, 1929. Serial No. 380,013.

My invention relates to wrenches and it has for a purpose the provision of a wrench having a jaw head and a lever operatlvely connected thereto and by means of which the jaw head may be manually rotated, the lever being capable of assuming various angular positions in respect to the head so that it may be operated from different starting positlons to rotate the jaw head in the operation of a nut or bolt and to thereby facilitate such operation, particularly where the nut or bolt is difficult of access.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a wrench in which the jaw head and operating lever are operatively connected through the medium of a ratchet device which is manually operable to control the direction of rotation of the jaw head, so that by operation of the lever, the jaw head may be rotated. in either direction. The ratchet device embodies a double toothed pawl normally occupying a neutral position in which the teeth are disengaged with respect to a pair of racks, but manually movable to engage the racks and thus control the direction of rotation of the jaw head. The ratchet device also includes means for camming either pawl tooth into engagement with its rack depending upon and when the lever is move-d its limit in either direction, and a spring for yieldably urging the pawl so that one tooth or the other engages with its respective rack when moved from the neutral position.

v I will describe only one form of wrench embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View showing in side elevation one form of wrench embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the wrench in edge elevation.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing one pawl tooth engaging its respective rack to provide an operative connection between the jaw headed lever for rotating the head in a counter clockwise direction.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the pawl element in the act of being automatically returned to neutral position.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a wrench embodying a lever 15 which constitutes a handle adapted to be gripped and actuated for operating the wrench in its application to a nut or bolt. This lever is bifurcated at one end to form spaced parallel arms 16, and at the junction of the arms and lever, the latter is formed with a pocket 17. A pin 18 extends through the arms 16 to providea pivot for a jaw head designated generally at H so that the head is rotatable on the lever. This head includes a pair of jaws 19 and a disk body 20, the periphery of which is provided with two sets of teeth reversely disposed to form a pair of racks 21 and 22. The racks are separated by a lug 28, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter.

The racks constitute part of a ratchet device for operatively connecting the lever to the jaw head and this device also includes a pawl member 24: disposed between the arms 16 and pivoted for rocking movement by the provision of a pin 25 which extends through the arms. The pawl member 24 includes a pair of teeth 26 and 27 and a depending extension 28 disposed within the pocket 17 and having a recess 29 in its lower end in which 5 is received the upper end of a coiled expansible spring 30. The lower end of the spring is received'in a similar recess 31 in the bot- I tom of the pocket 17. Extension 28 is of V form, and the pocket 17 of a corresponding form although of a greater width'to allow sufficient movement of the extension to permit 7 proper functioning of the pawl member. The pawl member is provided with an arcuate surface 32 terminating at its ends in abruptly curved surfaces 33 adjacent the ends of the teeth. These surfaces 83 are adapted to be engaged by the lug 23 for returning the pawl, member to a neutral position.

, In the operation of the wrench the pawl member normally occupies a neutral position under the action of the spring 30 which tends to restrain the extension 28 against movement in either direction. In the, neutral position of the pawl member, its teeth 26 and 27 are clear of the teeth of the two racks, thereby. permitting unrestricted adj ustmentl of the jaw head-on the lever. lVith the jaws 19 in applied position to a nut or bolt and the lever moved to any starting position most convenient for the operation of the jaw head, that is to say, at an angle with respect to the jaw head in which the lever can be conveniently operated, the pawl member is rocked about its pivot to cause one tooth or the other to engage its respective rack depending upon which direction it is desired to rotate the jaw head. Such movement of the pawl member causes a lateral flexing of the spring30 as illustrated in Fig. 4, the tension of the spring in this flexed position operating to maintain the pawl member in the set position. Consequently, that pawl tooth engaging its respective rack is maintained in such position by the spring, and thus an operative connection between the lever 15 and the aw head H is established, so that when the lever is moved in the direction of the respective tooth, it will cause rotation of the jaw head in a corresponding direction.

The lug 23 functions to move the pawl member 24; to cause either one tooth or the other to engage its respective rack when the lever 15 is swung toeither of its two extreme positions in respect to the jaw head.

For example, when the lever 15 is swung to the left extreme position as illustrated in Fig. 4, the lug 23 engages the surface 33 of the tooth 26 and thereby rocks the pawl memher about its pivot 25 to cause the tooth 27 to engage the last tooth of the corresponding rack 22. As the spring 30 maintains the pawl member in this position, it will be clear that upon oscillation of the lever on the head, the tooth 27 will coact with the rack 22 to effect rotation of the jaw head in a step by step movement.

By the provision of the double toothed pawl and racks, it will be manifest that the jaw head, through manipulation of the lever, may be rotated in either direction, and that the lever may be moved to the most advantageous angle in respect to the aw head to avoid obstructions in the operation of the lever for rotating the aw head. Thus, the wrench is particularly adapted for the manipulation of nuts and bolts ordinarily dificult of access by the conventional form of wrench.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of wrench embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wrench comprising a jaw head, a ratchet device having a rack on the jaw head provided with reversely disposed teeth, a pawl member, a lever movable on the jaw head to occupy either of two extreme positions, said pawl member being pivoted on the lever to occupy a neutral position and either of two extreme positions, said pawl member having two teeth one for each set of rack teeth adapted to engage the latter according as the pawl member is moved to one extreme position or the other, yieldable means for maintaining the pawl member in a neutral position, and a lug on the jaw head, the pawl member having surfaces coacting with the lug to move either pawl tooth into engagement with its respective rack teeth according as the lever is moved to one extreme position or the other.

2. A wrench comprising a lever having a bifurcated portion and a pocket adjacent said portion, a jaw head having a body pivoted within the bifurcated portion and having its edge provided with two sets of reversely disposed teeth, a pawl member pivoted on the lever within the bifurcated portion to occupy a neutral and either of two extreme positions, said pawl member having a pair of teeth one for each set of aw head teeth, an extension disposed within said pocket and adapted to engage the walls thereof for defining the two extreme positions of the pawl member, a spring associated with the extension and the lever for yieldably maintaining the pawl member in neutral position and in either of its two extreme positions, and a'lug on the body, the pawl member having surfaces coacting with said lug to move the pawl member back to neutral position.

3. A wrench comprising a j aw head, a ratchet device having a rack on the jaw head provided with reversely disposed teeth, and a pawl member, a lever movable on the jaw head to occupy either of two extreme posi tions, said pawl member being pivoted on the lever to occupy a neutral position and either of twoextreme positions, said pawl member having two teeth one for each set of rack teeth adapted to engage the latter according as the pawl member is moved to one extreme position or the other, yieldable means for maintaining the pawl member in a neutral position, and means on the jaw head and pawl member coact ing to move either pawl tooth into engagement with its respective rack teeth according as the lever is moved to one extreme position or the other.

ROSS E. ODELL. 

